The Laurel County community is mourning the loss of a retired educator. Monica Smith died on December 4th. She was was 61. Smith was an educator in the Laurel County school system as a math teacher, guidance counselor and Director of Secondary Education for 35 years before her 2019 retirement. Her colleagues said Smith was a great educator and a friend they could count on to bring out the positivity in a situation. Mark Sizemore, South Laurel High School Band Director, said she was a tireless advocate and champion for the bands and arts programs in the Laurel County schools, fighting hard behind the scenes to keep funding and support for the programs.